Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
95GABORONE6513
1995-12-01 15:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Gaborone
Cable title:
SOUTH AFRICA -- NOT SADC -- TO TAKE THE LEAD ON NIGERIA
how-toP 011512Z DEC 95 FM AMEMBASSY GABORONE TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8482 INFO AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK AMEMBASSY LILONGWE AMEMBASSY LUSAKA AMEMBASSY MASERU AMEMBASSY LAGOS AMEMBASSY LONDON USMISSION USUN NEW YORK AMEMBASSY LUANDA USLO ABUJA AMEMBASSY MAPUTO AMEMBASSY MBABANE AMEMBASSY PRETORIA AMEMBASSY HARARE AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG AMCONSUL DURBAN AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN
C O N F I D E N T I A L GABORONE 006513
DEPT FOR AF/W AND AF/S
LONDON FOR YOUNG
PRETORIA PLEASE PASS TO AF/S DIRECTOR BLANEY AND CARTER-PERRY
E.O. 12958: 11/28/05
TAGS: PREL BC NI SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA -- NOT SADC -- TO TAKE THE LEAD ON NIGERIA
REF: GABORONE 6465
CLASSIFIED BY: HOWARD F. JETER, AMBASSADOR
REASON: 1.5(B)
C O N F I D E N T I A L GABORONE 006513
DEPT FOR AF/W AND AF/S
LONDON FOR YOUNG
PRETORIA PLEASE PASS TO AF/S DIRECTOR BLANEY AND CARTER-PERRY
E.O. 12958: 11/28/05
TAGS: PREL BC NI SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA -- NOT SADC -- TO TAKE THE LEAD ON NIGERIA
REF: GABORONE 6465
CLASSIFIED BY: HOWARD F. JETER, AMBASSADOR
REASON: 1.5(B)
1. CONTRARY TO WHAT PRESIDENT MASIRE'S PRIVATE SECRETARY TOLD US
LAST WEEK, LOUIS SELEPENG, PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL
AFFAIRS IN THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE, CONFIDED TO THE AMBASSADOR 11/30
THAT PRESIDENT MASIRE HAD DECLINED, IN HIS CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN OF
THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, TO CALL A MEETING OF
SADC HEADS OF STATE, TO DEVELOP A REGIONAL SOUTHERN AFRICAN
STRATEGY ON NIGERIA.
2. SELEPENG SAID THAT BOTSWANA MAINTAINED THAT THE QUESTION
OF NIGERIA WAS NOT A SADC ISSUE (I.E., THERE WAS NO DIRECT CORRELATION
BETWEEN THE UNFORTUNATE DEVELOPMENTS IN NIGERIA AND SADC AS A
CORPORATE REGIONAL BODY),AND PRESIDENT MANDELA HAD AGREED.
THEREFORE, IT WAS DECIDED THAT PRESIDENT MANDELA WOULD CALL A
MEETING OF REGIONAL LEADERS TO CONSIDER THE NIGERIA QUESTION, AND
WOULD DO SO IN HIS CAPACITY AS SOUTH AFRICA'S PRESIDENT BUT NOT IN
THE NAME OF SADC. SELEPENG NOTED THAT THE MANDELA-CALLED MEETING
WOULD LIKELY TAKE PLACE IN PRETORIA.
3. SELEPENG SAID THAT PRESIDENT MASIRE WAS PREPARED TO ATTEND THE
MEETING AT ANY TIME FOLLOWING HIS RETURN FROM THE GCA MEETING IN
HOLLAND. MASIRE RETURNED TO BOTSWANA YESTERDAY, NOVEMBER 30.
4. FOR BLANEY AND CARTER-PERRY: NIGERIA WILL INEVITABLY TURN UP
DURING THE VICE PRESIDENT'S BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH PRESIDENT
MASIRE. THE VP SHOULD BE WELL BRIEFED.
JETER
DEPT FOR AF/W AND AF/S
LONDON FOR YOUNG
PRETORIA PLEASE PASS TO AF/S DIRECTOR BLANEY AND CARTER-PERRY
E.O. 12958: 11/28/05
TAGS: PREL BC NI SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA -- NOT SADC -- TO TAKE THE LEAD ON NIGERIA
REF: GABORONE 6465
CLASSIFIED BY: HOWARD F. JETER, AMBASSADOR
REASON: 1.5(B)
1. CONTRARY TO WHAT PRESIDENT MASIRE'S PRIVATE SECRETARY TOLD US
LAST WEEK, LOUIS SELEPENG, PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR POLITICAL
AFFAIRS IN THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE, CONFIDED TO THE AMBASSADOR 11/30
THAT PRESIDENT MASIRE HAD DECLINED, IN HIS CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN OF
THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, TO CALL A MEETING OF
SADC HEADS OF STATE, TO DEVELOP A REGIONAL SOUTHERN AFRICAN
STRATEGY ON NIGERIA.
2. SELEPENG SAID THAT BOTSWANA MAINTAINED THAT THE QUESTION
OF NIGERIA WAS NOT A SADC ISSUE (I.E., THERE WAS NO DIRECT CORRELATION
BETWEEN THE UNFORTUNATE DEVELOPMENTS IN NIGERIA AND SADC AS A
CORPORATE REGIONAL BODY),AND PRESIDENT MANDELA HAD AGREED.
THEREFORE, IT WAS DECIDED THAT PRESIDENT MANDELA WOULD CALL A
MEETING OF REGIONAL LEADERS TO CONSIDER THE NIGERIA QUESTION, AND
WOULD DO SO IN HIS CAPACITY AS SOUTH AFRICA'S PRESIDENT BUT NOT IN
THE NAME OF SADC. SELEPENG NOTED THAT THE MANDELA-CALLED MEETING
WOULD LIKELY TAKE PLACE IN PRETORIA.
3. SELEPENG SAID THAT PRESIDENT MASIRE WAS PREPARED TO ATTEND THE
MEETING AT ANY TIME FOLLOWING HIS RETURN FROM THE GCA MEETING IN
HOLLAND. MASIRE RETURNED TO BOTSWANA YESTERDAY, NOVEMBER 30.
4. FOR BLANEY AND CARTER-PERRY: NIGERIA WILL INEVITABLY TURN UP
DURING THE VICE PRESIDENT'S BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH PRESIDENT
MASIRE. THE VP SHOULD BE WELL BRIEFED.
JETER